Native Son - Richard Wright [148]
“You gentlemen, the jurors, are any of you acquainted with the deceased or are any of you members of the family?”
One of the men rose and said,
“No, sir.”
“Would there be any reason why you could not render a fair and impartial verdict in this?”
“No, sir.”
“Is there any objection to these men serving as jurors in this case?” the coroner asked of the entire room.
There was no answer.
“In the name of the coroner, I will ask the jurors to rise, pass by this table, and view the remains of the deceased, one Mary Dalton.”
In silence the six men rose and filed past the table, each looking at the pile of white bones. When they were seated again, the coroner called,
“We will now hear Mr. Jan Erlone!”
Jan rose, came forward briskly, and was asked to swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help him God. Bigger wondered if Jan would turn on him now. He wondered if he could really trust any white man, even this white man who had come and offered him his friendship. He leaned forward to hear. Jan was asked several times if he was a foreigner and Jan said no. The coroner walked close to Jan’s chair and leaned the upper part of his body forward and asked in a loud voice,
“Do you believe in social equality for Negroes?”
The room stirred.
“I believe all races are equal….” Jan began.
“Answer yes or no, Mr. Erlone! You’re not on a soap box. Do you believe in social equality for Negroes?”
“Yes.”
“Are you a member of the Communist Party?”
“Yes.”
“In what condition was Miss Dalton when you left her last Sunday morning?”
“What do you mean?”
“Was she drunk?”
“I would not say she was drunk. She had had a few drinks.”
“What time did you leave her?”
“It was about one-thirty, I think.”
“Was she in the front seat of the car?”
“Yes; she was in the front seat.”
“Had she been in the front seat all along?”
“No.”
“Was she in the front seat when you left the café?”
“No.”
“Did you put her in the front seat when you left the car?”
“No; she said she wanted to sit up front.”
“You didn’t ask her to?”
“No.”
“When you left her, was she able to get out of the car alone?”
“I think so.”
“Had you had any relations with her while in the back seat that would have tended to make her, let us say, stunned, too weak to have gotten out alone?”
“No!”
“Is it not true, Mr. Erlone, that Miss Dalton was in no condition to protect herself and you lifted her into that front seat?”
“No! I didn’t lift her into the front seat!”
Jan’s voice sounded throughout the room. There was a quick buzzing of conversation.
“Why did you leave an unprotected white girl alone in a car with a drunken Negro?”
“I was not aware that Bigger was drunk and I did not consider Mary as being unprotected.”
“Had you at any time in the past left Miss Dalton alone in the company of Negroes?”
“No.”
“You had never used Miss Dalton as bait before, had you?”
Bigger was startled by a noise behind him. He turned his head; Max was on his feet.
“Mr. Coroner, I realize that this is not a trial. But the questions being asked now have no earthly relation to the cause and manner of the death of the deceased.”
“Mr. Max, we are allowing plenty of latitude here. The Grand Jury will determine whether the testimony offered here has any relation or not.”
“But questions of this sort inflame the public mind….”
“Now, listen, Mr. Max. No question asked in this room will inflame the public mind any more than has the death of Mary Dalton, and you know it. You have the right to question any of these witnesses, but I will not tolerate any publicity-seeking by your kind here!”
“But Mr. Erlone is not on trial here, Mr. Coroner!”
“He is suspected of being implicated in this murder! And we’re after the one who killed this girl and the reasons for it! If you think these questions have the wrong construction, you may question the witness when we’re through. But you cannot regulate the questions asked here!”
Max sat down. The room was quiet. The coroner paced to and fro a few seconds before he spoke again; his face was red and his